To Win Her Hand
by Dacyon
Summary: AU, Kataang; The newly established Southern Water Tribe is holding a betrothal contest for its Princess, Katara, and whoever wins, after approval from her father, Chief Hakoda, will be allowed to marry her. When Avatar Aang learns he has not been invited to participate, what will he do to be with the woman he loves? And will Katara even go through with the arranged marriage?


**A/N** – **_Important!_** In this AU, the Southern Water Tribe was never established until 80 ASC – details will be explained below in the prologue. And I know it seems that the prologue contains a lot of detailed, perhaps unnecessary backstory, but I felt it necessary because it _does_ have a plot purpose . . . eventually. . . (that and I just _freakin' _love exposition)

It should also be noted that I typically don't care for the 'arranged marriage' plot (**_with exceptions_** – I know there are some fantastic stories that center around an arranged marriage between Aang and Katara or between other _AtLA_ characters), but this was just one idea I couldn't get out of my head and had to write. So, yes, for the sake of this story, arranged marriages are a key plot point.

Any direct quotes from the episode "The Avatar and the Fire Lord," (Book 3, Chapter 6) are underlined (I just thought it'd be nice to show the exact point the dialogue in this AU diverges from the canon).

**Disclaimer**: _Avatar: The Last Airbender_ belongs to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko; I own nothing.

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**Prologue**

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(Present Day, 105 ASC)

"I'm going to lose her, Sokka. And there's nothing I can do about it."

"Lose who, buddy? I can't help you if I don't know who you're talking about."

"The woman I love."

Realization spread across the warrior's face as he saw a familiar piece of paper on the ground in front of his friend – an invitation to a wedding that would be held in six months. "You mean . . .?" he asked, nodding towards the paper.

"Yes, I'm talking about Katara. Your sister – the woman about to be forced into an arranged marriage with whomever wins this betrothal contest," the eighteen year old Avatar turned his tattooed head away from his friend, "and I'm not one of the eight men invited to participate."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

_(The Wedding of Avatar Roku, 54 BSC) _

"I've been thinking hard about the state of the world lately." Roku almost scoffed at his best friend's serious words and expression, finding it hard to believe that the Fire Lord, despite the stresses that came with the job, decided to bring an issue up at Roku's _wedding_.

The Avatar placed an arm around his friend, "Sozin, it is my wedding! Have a cookie, dance with someone, lighten up!" At his insistence, the Fire Lord offered his friend a small smile.

"I know, I know, but just hear me out." The Avatar gave a slight bow towards the Fire Lord, encouraging him to begin while they continued walking. "Right from the start, I was destined to be Fire Lord. And although we didn't always know it, you were destined to be the Avatar." The ruler of the Fire Nation did not notice his friend had stopped walking at his words while he himself strode out on to a balcony. "It's an amazing stroke of fate we know each other so well, isn't it? Together, we could do… _anything_."

Roku's response was calm, his face no longer jovial, but now serious, with slight trepidation covering his features. "Yeah, we could."

"Our nation is enjoying an unprecedented time of peace and wealth. Our people are happy, and we're so fortunate in so many ways."

Although the Avatar was inclined to agree about the current state of their nation, he knew Sozin was building up to something big, so he decided to cut to the chase. "Where are you going with this?"

"I've been thinking, we should share this prosperity with the rest of the world. In our hands is the most successful empire in history. It's time we expanded it." Sozin's words caused irritation to simmer in Roku's gut – as the Avatar, despite his pride in his birth nation he knew balance had to be maintained throughout the world – even if it meant potentially creating a division between himself and his best friend.

"No! The four nations are meant to be just that: four."

Annoyed that his friend discarded his words without fully hearing him out, the Fire Lord exclaimed, "Roku, you haven't even stopped to consider the possibilities."

"There are no possibilities. This is the last I want to hear about this." As the fuming Avatar turned and walked from the balcony, Sozin spoke up.

"You haven't heard everything I had to say! I can understand how you might misconstrue my words –"

"_Misconstrue_?" The Avatar turned around to face the Fire Lord, "No, Sozin! I cannot listen to you speak about wanting to bring the other three nations under the rule of our own! It goes against the balance of this world!"

"I _wasn't_ talking about turning four nations into one – I want to make four nations become five!"

_This _caught the Avatar off-guard. Roku had expected Sozin wanted to conquer – not divide, which in essence, unless Sozin explained, didn't seem to be a better option. "What do you mean?"

"I meant that I wanted to expand our _prosperity_, _not_ our empire. I want to help _unite_ the world. I know it's your duty as the Avatar to keep the four nations in balance, but what if there was a way to help you maintain order? The four nations of this world united under their common interests – peace and prosperity, yet as a fifth, _independent_ nation."

Roku was stunned, still slightly upset at the thought of such a radical change, but overall glad his friend did not want to conquer the rest of the world. "Sozin, this would still upset the balance of the world. There are meant to be _four _nations. . ."

"I know, I know. And I can understand this might take years, if not decades before others warm-up to the idea, let alone the reality if it was agreed upon. But I dream of a world where benders and non-benders of every nation live alongside each other, harmoniously. It might be a fantasy, but I think it would change the world for the better. A fifth, unified nation could serve as a melting pot, so to speak, and bring together the best parts of the four original nations."

"Sozin, I'll have to think on this. And I cannot make this decision alone – you would have to publicly announce your idea and gain the support of the leaders of the Earth Kingdom, Air Nomads, and Water Tribe." The Avatar gave a small smile as he yet again put an arm around Sozin's shoulders. "Now, let's talk about this some other time – I've got my wedding to enjoy."

The two men walked back to the courtyard in silence and rejoined the celebration. As Roku was about to sit down next to his new wife Ta Min, the Fire Lord called out his name. Turning to face his friend, the Avatar saw Sozin had a large grin on his face. "Thank you for listening, old friend." The Fire Lord then turned, grabbed a cookie from a nearby platter, and wandered out towards the dance floor. Roku chuckled to himself and shook his head; Sozin was certainly quite a character.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

_(The Year of the Great Comet's Return – 0 ASC)_

Celebrations were held throughout the Fire Nation in honor of the Great Comet's return. Every hundred years the comet would streak across the sky, granting enhanced bending abilities to every Firebender in the world.

Outside in the same courtyard where Roku's wedding was held many years prior, the Avatar and the Fire Lord, along with the Earth King, the Chief of the Water Tribe, and the Head Monks and Nuns of the four Air temples, as well as Fire Nation nobles, were gathered to view the comet's passing.

As the comet made contact with the atmosphere, every Firebender in the courtyard breathed in deeply, feeling the increase in power granted to them. Shortly after, marvelous displays of Firebending were presented as entertainment for the guests, including a stunning performance by Roku and his dragon, Fang.

As the ceremony drew to a close that night, Sozin rose from his seat to address the audience. "Thank you all, so much, for coming! I am honored that the leaders of our fellow nations were able to witness an event that is so cherished by the people of the Fire Nation." Applause and cheers resonated throughout the courtyard at the aging Fire Lord's words. "Especially in the face of such difficult times for each of the other three nations – the Earth Kingdom suffers from an economic crisis, the Water Tribe from a devastating sickness, and both the Northern and Eastern Air Temples have suffered from poor crops in recent years." Spreading his arms wide, Sozin raised his head high and smiled, "That is another reason why I invited you all here. I believe it is time I told the world of my plan for it."

Although there were no tensions between the nations at this point, concerned expressions were exchanged between the guests as Sozin spoke of a "plan" for the world. Noting this, Roku stood from his seat next to Sozin's. "Please, honored guests, there is nothing to fear. I have listened to Fire Lord Sozin's idea for more than half a century – its sole purpose is to help reduce such struggles and suffering. In my personal opinion, I find this to be a fantastic idea and have given Sozin my personal support – but as the Avatar, I will only officially support an endeavor that is backed by all four nations unanimously."

At Roku's insistence, Sozin explained the concepts that he had developed more than fifty years ago about unifying the four nations under a new banner. While many of the details would have to be worked out, all of the guests seemed receptive to the new idea – to varying degrees.

The Air Nomads seemed to embrace the idea of connecting more with the other nations and the prospect of a fifth, centralized Air temple was also enticing. The Water Tribe Chief decided the idea had its merits, but he would have to give it plenty of thought. The least receptive to Sozin's plan was the Earth King – who seemed to sense the Fire Lord would want to establish this new fifth nation on Earth Kingdom soil. However, upon hearing that Sozin thought the best location for an independent nation would be the relatively sparsely-populated southern coast of the north-western Earth Kingdom, the Earth King relaxed – slightly.

"Please, gathered friends, do not be rash and make hasty decisions about this idea – think on it! All I want for this world is to continue to enjoy peace and to help bring prosperity to its people – take all the time you need, and if there is unanimous agreement to pursue such a new nation, let us make sure it is planned correctly from the beginning! Thank you all for coming, yet again! And safe travels to your homelands, I hope to see you all again!" At Sozin's closing statements, the celebration of the Great Comet's return came to an end in the Fire Nation capital.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

_(The Funeral of Fire Lord Sozin – 20 ASC) _

After Sozin passed away peacefully in his sleep at the age of one-hundred and two, the leaders of the world gathered to pay their respects to the renowned Fire Lord and discuss his accomplishments, as well as his dream of the future. While many remained wary of Sozin's concept of a fifth, united nation, it was decided that his grand vision would be attempted in order to honor the man who had not only maintained one of the longest – and most prosperous – eras in Fire Nation history, but who had also offered humanitarian aid many times to the other nations.

Sozin's son, Azulon, was crowned Fire Lord shortly after his father's death, and together with Avatar Roku, declared that the Great Comet would also be renamed in Sozin's honor for his visions of a peaceful utopian world.

In order to effectively gauge how well each nation was able to adapt to new locations, it was decided that each nation would establish colonies at the far reaches of their lands where populations were small or nonexistent. The Air Nomads were excluded from this as a result of their nomadic lifestyle – they had proven themselves capable of adapting to varied areas of the world. However, it was requested by the leaders of the other three nations that interested foreign citizens would be allowed to train under the Air Nomads and learn their ways, to help encourage international cooperation and the transfer of cultural ideas. The members of the Four Councils of Elders had mixed reactions to this proposal, but it was passed by majority vote; thus, the Air Acolytes were formed.

The Fire Nation began its colonization efforts immediately, establishing cities in the harshest, and farthest, regions of its land – mainly situated in the smaller, eastern islands, closest to the western Earth Kingdom. After thirty years, these colonies were then judged by an international council to see if the Fire Nation colonials had adapted well to the new environment. After the Fire Nation's colonies proved to be successful, the Earth Kingdom followed the Fire Nation's example, establishing colonies along its western coast and in more dangerous locations, such as the Si Wong Desert and Foggy Swamp. After another thirty years, the international board reviewed and approved the Earth Kingdom colonies. Some of the Earth Kingdom colonies situated along the north-western coast were specifically designed to include large areas of empty space – so if Sozin's idea was approved, the other three nations could easily move in to some of the already-existing cities.

Finally, the Water Tribe would begin perhaps the most daunting challenge of all – colonizing the South Pole. While there had been suggestions several generations prior of certain groups in the North Pole splitting away from the Water Tribe and establishing a new tribe at the South Pole, none had ever come to fruition. So, after sixty years, and both the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom had shown they could establish new colonies on their own, it would be up to the Water Tribe to prove it was capable of doing the same. And if they were, after another thirty years, the construction of a true fifth nation – comprised of citizens from each of the four original nations, but independent of all – would begin.

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_(Establishment of the Southern Water Tribe – 80 ASC) _

The barren, icy lands of the South Pole appeared almost welcoming to the Northern colonists – the snowy landscapes reminded them so much of their old home – now on the other side of the world. This was to be their new home, and regardless of if their efforts at colonization were rated a success in thirty years, the few hundred colonists were determined to survive and thrive in this harsh climate.

While the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom had merely established colonies within their borders, they were much larger than the Water Tribe, and thus, the international council believed they had more "cultural diversity" across their own lands. Avatar Roku had believed a second tribe would have to be founded to allow the people of the Water Tribe to develop "similar levels of cultural diversity" – in hopes of making integration with foreign citizens easier.

Thus, the original tribe at the North Pole had become the Northern Water Tribe, while the colonists were declared the Southern Water Tribe. The whole concept of what was now being called the "United Republic" rested solely in the hands of the people of the South Pole – they couldn't afford to fail.

In order to "distance" themselves from their Northern roots, changes had been made to many of the long-held traditions of the Northern Water Tribe so that the Southerners could truly be seen as "separate." On the whole, the Southern Water Tribe was designed to be more egalitarian than its North Pole counterpart.

The age at which young men and women could marry was raised to eighteen – and only under special circumstances could that be altered. Arranged marriages, which were still common at the North Pole, were also legal in the Southern Water Tribe, although some colonists were hoping the practice would become less prevalent as time went by.

Perhaps the most radical change was allowing Waterbenders to choose what they wanted to learn, rather than forcing men to learn only combat and women to learn only healing. One of the colonists, the staunchly-traditional Waterbending Master Pakku, had been largely upset at this, but after learning Arnook had appointed his son Hakoda as Chief of the new Southern tribe, he quickly stopped complaining.

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A close friend of Chief Arnook, the newly-instated Southern Chief, Hakoda, wandered across one of the many small encampments surrounding the site of what would become the main city of the newly formed Southern Water Tribe. His destination – barely visible in the fierce blizzard – was a small tent, distinguishable from the dozens of others that covered the tundra only by the small flag above its entrance that was embroidered with the seal of the Water Tribe. Upon entering, he lowered his hood and immediately walked to the center of the shelter.

Giving the other individuals surrounding the center table curt nods, he glanced to his right at his best friend, Bato. "How long will it be before we can begin initial construction, old friend?"

The taller man scratched his jaw, glancing down at the architectural plans laid out in front of the Tribal Council. "We can start building as soon as this storm ends. The extra snow will be useful for the Waterbenders, as well. I'd say the foundations for all of the main buildings will be completed within a month."

Someone scoffed. "A month? What do you think we are – novice Waterbenders? Give us a week and we'll be finished."

Hakoda glared at his father from across the table, "Dad, I know you're talented and I know we have dozens of Waterbenders here, several of whom are indeed masters. But we need to make sure we take our time with this. It won't do us any good if in six months our city starts collapsing because someone was too proud to not take the proper precautions."

The older man rolled his eyes, "Yes, Chief Hakoda."

The leader of the Southern Water Tribe laughed. "Come on, Dad! I told you that neither you nor Mom has to call me 'Chief,' I'm your son for spirits-sake!" When he saw that Pakku's expression didn't change, he added, "Look, I don't doubt your abilities as a Waterbending Master, Dad, but you're not getting any younger and I want you to be around for a lot longer. Besides, what if Kya and I have a Waterbending child? I'd prefer you be around to teach them."

Knowing he had found his father's weakness, Hakoda watched as Pakku nodded, agreeing to ensure that the Waterbending crews took their time during construction. Also, the thought of having Waterbending grandchildren to be able to pass on his techniques to appealed heavily to the elder's mind.

A cough broke the silence. Hakoda turned to his left and was met with the disapproving glare of his new wife, Kya. "You and I are going to be having a long talk after this is over, Chief Hakoda."

Hakoda sighed, "Yes, dearest." He then heard chuckling. He didn't have to look up to know it was his mother who was making the noise. "Mother, _please_, not now."

Kanna quickly stopped, but retained a contented smirk on her face before turning to her husband, "That'll be five copper pieces, honey. You said it would take him at least ten minutes before he played the grandchildren card."

Pakku begrudgingly handed the money to his wife while Hakoda watched his parents with an open mouth, gaping like a fish. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that his wife had a similar expression.

In an effort to get back on track, Hakoda turned back towards Bato, "How about you just give us the general overview on how long you think it will take to complete the main city, instead of us going step-by-step."

"Agreed," Bato pointed towards the next map, "after the foundations are completed, we'll finish construction on the harbor, here." The city was being built along the coast, so unlike the Northern Water Tribe, where the harbor was in front of the entire city, an area had to be specifically set aside for the harbor. "Then, we'll be able to start constructing the public roadways and the commercial waterways." Whereas the Northern Water Tribe relied on an elaborate system of canals and bridges between its buildings, the Southern colonists had decided to save space by using walkways, with only a few waterways restricted to commercial use.

"In total, those projects will probably take only another month, at most. Then we'll be able to start on residential and commercial buildings – which, weather permitting, should only take about four months." Bato smiled and glanced down at Hakoda, "Then Harbor City will be complete."

Hakoda blinked in disbelief – he knew construction with help from Waterbending could be done quickly (heck, in an emergency, shelters could be made within minutes), he just didn't expect an entirely new city could go up in only a six-month span of time. "Are you sure that everything will be completed that fast, weather permitting?"

"Certainly! Of course, minor construction projects and tweaks will probably be ongoing for another six months after, but the big projects will be finished."

Hakoda grinned – in six months, the capital of a new nation would be complete and the world would be one step closer to unity. Meeting his father's eyes across the table, Hakoda gave a nod, "Dad, as soon as this storm passes, you have permission to start building our new home."

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_(Harbor City, Southern Water Tribe – 86 ASC) _

"Chief Hakoda, you have a guest!"

Hakoda glanced up from his desk in the Royal Palace, thankful for a distraction from the monotonous letters and paperwork he was given daily to look over and sign. Despite not being of 'royal' blood, being made Chief of an entire nation had definitely come with a few perks. These included a large, but not luxurious, home and an army of servants. Unlike the Fire Nation, Earth Kingdom, and even the Northern Water Tribe, however, Hakoda had dismissed all of his servants before rehiring them as paid aides to better fit the South's more egalitarian society.

Walking out of his office, he saw one of his aides waiting by the door to the main lobby. Hakoda nodded towards the aide, thanking him for alerting the Chief of a guest. The aide returned the nod and walked off to fulfill other duties. Upon opening the door, Hakoda was shocked at the sight before him. He had expected a foreign dignitary or a domestic elder to be waiting to speak with him, yet the individual before him was someone he never expected to meet.

"A-Avatar Roku?"

The elderly Fire Nation citizen glanced up from his seat, "Ah, you must be Chief Hakoda."

The Chief of the Southern Water Tribe quickly bowed to the Avatar, hoping he had not embarrassed himself permanently in the man's eyes. Roku returned the bow before chuckling, "Please, relax, Chief Hakoda, I'm only human after all."

"Of course, sir. It's just . . . I never expected to meet you face to face, that's all."

Roku's laughter reverberated throughout the icy room, "The leader of an entire nation and you never expected to meet with the Avatar?" As Hakoda paled in embarrassment, the Firebender shook his head, "There's nothing to be ashamed of, my friend. I guess it's my fault – I've been so busy watching over the colonies in the Earth Kingdom and dealing with the transfer of power in my homeland that I haven't had the time I wanted to come and visit this fledgling nation."

"That's quite alright, Avatar Roku, I understand you must be a very busy man."

"Yes, well, not for too much longer, I don't think." Hakoda wanted to inquire what the Avatar was implying by that statement, but he did not push the issue further. "After finally seeing that the colonies in the Earth Kingdom were well and truly stable, I was going to come immediately here, but then Azulon wanted to speak with me. Apparently the Crown Prince, Iroh, didn't want to become Fire Lord. Do you know what the man wants to do?"

Hakoda shook his head, "No sir, I do not."

"Well, it turns out that Iroh wants to open a tea shop! Apparently that's been his lifelong dream, which is quite odd for a man who spent his entire adult life in the military. Normally, I'd be forced to encourage the man to accept his destiny, but thankfully, Azulon's youngest son, Ozai, was willing to take his brother's place." Roku stroked his beard in contemplation, "While far from traditional, the exchange of power went off without a hitch! So now, whenever Azulon chooses to abdicate his thrown, Ozai will be his successor."

Hakoda smiled, "Well, I'm glad to hear those issues were resolved without problem, sir."

"Yes," Roku agreed, "leaves fewer issues for my successor."

"I beg your pardon sir, but, your 'successor?'" While Hakoda shouldn't have been surprised – Roku was over a century and a half in age – it was still shocking to imagine a world with a different Avatar.

"Chief Hakoda," Roku began, "I am far from a spry, young man. That is another reason I wanted to make sure I visited the South soon – I have no idea how much longer I have left." Turning to face the Water Tribesman fully, he continued, "My successor will be born into the Air Nomads and will face challenges this world has never seen before. When the United Republic is fully established, it will be my successor's duty to ensure it survives, and _thrives_, so that his or her successor will have help in keeping balance in the world."

A familiar voice rang throughout the room, "There you are, Hakoda! Your son has wanted to see you all day." Kya approached her husband, a baby in her arms and a toddler waddling alongside her. Upon seeing Roku – who had been standing behind a pillar and thus blocked from her vision – she gasped, reacting in a similar manner as her husband while she bowed. "Avatar Roku, I am so sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt!"

"You didn't interrupt anything important, my dear, just idle chit-chat." Roku bowed, "You must be Lady Kya. It is an honor to meet you and your children." The toddler, sucking on his thumb, wandered up to the Avatar, curiosity plainly seen in his large blue eyes. Roku smiled at the young boy, "And who might you be, young one?"

Kya smiled as she spoke, "That is our son, Sokka."

The Avatar continued to smile at the toddler – who appeared to show no fear of the complete stranger before him. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Sokka." Sokka merely blinked a couple times in response. "You're a man of few words aren't you?" Whether the boy understood the elderly man's words or not, he nodded his head in response and continued to suck on his thumb. Roku chuckled before turning his head to look at the small bundle in Kya's arms, "And what of your other child?"

Hakoda wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders, "This is our daughter, Katara." The Chief and his wife shared a smile as they stared down at their one-year old baby girl.

"May I hold her?" Roku's question startled Kya, but she saw no harm in letting the Avatar hold their daughter – the man had probably held more babies than Kya had seen. Taking the small bundle into his frail arms, Roku stared down at the small girl. Katara looked up at him with tired, but – just like her brother – curious and fearless cerulean eyes. Roku looked back up at the proud parents from his seat, "You have beautiful children." Sokka had since clambered up into his father's lap and stared at the elderly Firebender almost expectantly. "I cannot be certain, but I have a strong feeling that your children, especially your daughter, will have strong connections with my successor."

Husband and wife exchanged curious glances, but the Avatar did not elaborate further on his words. Shortly after, Hakoda gave Roku a tour of the Southern Water Tribe. The Avatar said he was pleased with the progress he had seen before quickly departing. Roku's health began to fail shortly afterwards and he was unable to travel outside of the Fire Nation's Capital City, thus he sadly was never able to return to the Southern Water Tribe.

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_(Southern Air Temple – 88 ASC) _

As one of the Head Monks, and a member of the Council of Elders, at the Southern Air Temple, Monk Gyatso had been witness to the introduction of many new future monks to the temple. So what made the baby he held before him so special? Perhaps the child would be yet another Airbender, destined to master the art of the Air Nomads and achieve spiritual enlightenment. Or, it could be that this baby was the reincarnation of an old friend. It could very well be that the reincarnation of Avatar Roku was being held aloft in Gyatso's hands at this very moment. No one knew. The Avatar had passed away less than a week ago and the boy Gyatso held now was one of many that had been born since that time. And while the Head Monks wouldn't know for another few years until they could administer the traditional test to all the young boys, if Gyatso was honest with himself, there was something familiar about Aang's gray eyes.

* * *

**A/N** - I know I'm making Sozin a really, _really_ nice guy, but this is an AU, and let's be honest, Sozin wasn't evil to begin with, so this is just how Sozin _might_ have acted had he not become power-hungry.

Avatar Roku, thanks to the Avatar spirit and the effects of Sozin's Comet, lived to be 170. (I needed a reason to make Roku live an extra hundred years. If Sozin could live to be a 102 – I believe thanks to the comet's power – and Kyoshi lived to be 230 as the Avatar, I figured Roku could live a little longer . . . – I basically needed a reason for Aang to be born into the same time as the rest of the Gaang).

And as this is an AU, since we never knew who Hakoda's canon biological father was, I just decided I'd make Pakku be his father in this story. And as you can see, Southern Tribal Council meetings are relatively laid back – especially when half of the members are close friends and family.

You can interpret Roku's words about Sokka and Katara as you want. You can see it as he foresaw Aang falling in love with Katara or you can simply see it as the children of a nation's leader would be growing up alongside the new Avatar.

In the last scene of the prologue, Gyatso is 67 years old. He and Roku were close friends, despite having over a century difference in age. I wouldn't find it believable if Gyatso was 167, as the only non-Avatar individual we know to come close to Kyoshi's canon age was Guru Pathik at 150.

This is also _all_ I have written of this story so far. While I'm really liking the idea for the story, I just haven't been as focused on writing it as my other stories. Speaking of which, "Laying Down the Law" is progressing nicely and I already have another chapter of "A Future (and Past) Unwritten," almost ready to go. Thanks for reading; review if you have time!


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